iTunes Match Gets Dev Release, Video Preview

Updated below at 4 p.m. EDT with additional information

The wait for an Apple-centric solution to cloud-based music streaming is almost over.

Apple has released iTunes Match to those enrolled in its developer program. Tuesday’s announcement included a short video tour of the service, which is available only to those who are running iOS 10.5 Beta 6.1 and were quick enough to grab one of few beta subscriptions Apple offered.

Match works in conjunction with Apple iCloud, which allows users to store iTunes playlists remotely. With iTunes Match, you don’t have to store music files on your iDevice: They’re simply streamed from the cloud. You do have the option to download tracks, as the video shows.

Of course, iTunes Match isn’t the first streaming-music option. Ten bucks a month gets you a subscription to Rdio, which offers an iPhone and iPad app. Rdio also features a great playlist collaborating-and-sharing feature. Spotify, also available for $10 a month for the premium version, offers convenient offline syncing in its iOS and Android apps.

At $25 a year, iTunes Match is a significantly cheaper option, though.

If you’re hoping to score a beta version of iTunes Match, keep checking back over the next few days, as Apple will continue to expand its beta-testing pool.

Update:

According to AllThingsD, Apple’s iTunes Match service does not stream from iCloud, it requires you to download songs from your virtual, cloud-based “locker” onto whatever device you are listening on. This applies to any music title, whether it was purchased from iTunes or acquired from another source.

The “stream” in the video below is actually a simultaneous download and listen. This means Apple’s service is probably not technically a true streaming platform, since a copy of the song is needed on your iDevice in order to play. However, iTunes Match would still provide on-demand access to the music in your locker, so if you switch devices, you still have immediate access to all of your music.